Gilwood lodge is registered to accommodate a maximum of 47 people and specialises in providing care for people who live with dementia. The home is located in the south shore area of Blackpool close to the promenade. The home has two floors with lift access to the first floor. Rooms are en suite and there are bathroom and toilet facilities on both floors. Lounges and dining areas are also located on both floors. Private car parking facilities are available for people visiting. At the time of our inspection visit there were 46 people who lived at the home.

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 28 February 2017. Breaches of legal requirements were found in relation to record keeping and ensuring sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced persons were deployed to meet people’s needs. After the comprehensive inspection, the provider wrote to us to say what they would do to meet legal requirements.

We carried out an unannounced focused inspection on 20 July 2017 and found the provider had followed their plan and legal requirements had been met. The service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People who lived at the home and their visitors told us they were happy with the care provided at the home and staff were caring and compassionate. Comments received included, “I visit at various times every day and always find the same standards of care. Excellent.” And, “The staff are very pleasant and caring.”

People visiting the home told us they felt their relatives were safe in the care of staff who supported them. One person said, “I am quite happy [relative] is here and I know they are safe. The staff are wonderful.”

Procedures were in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care or abusive practices.

Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people during the delivery of their care. These had been kept under review and were relevant to the care provided.

Staff had been recruited safely, appropriately trained and supported. They had skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and social needs.

The service had sufficient staffing levels in place to provide support people required. We saw staff showed concern for people’s wellbeing and responded quickly when people required their help.

Medication procedures observed protected people from unsafe management of their medicines. People received their medicines as prescribed and when needed and appropriate records had been completed.

We saw there was an emphasis on promoting dignity, respect and independence for people who lived at the home. People told us staff treated them as individuals and delivered person centred care.

We looked around the building and found it had been maintained, was clean and hygienic and a safe place to live. We found equipment had been serviced and maintained as required.

The service had safe infection control procedures in place. People who lived at the home told us they were happy with the standard of hygiene.

People were supported to have maximum choice and con

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 28 February 2017. Breaches of legal requirements were found. After the comprehensive inspection, the provider wrote to us to say what they would do to meet legal requirements. This was in relation to record keeping and ensuring sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced persons were deployed to meet people’s needs.

We undertook this focused inspection to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Gilwood Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Gilwood lodge is registered for the regulated activities accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care, treatment of disease and disorder or injury. The home is located in the south shore area of Blackpool close to the promenade. The home has two floors with lift access to the first floor. Rooms are en suite and there are bathroom and toilet facilities on both floors. Lounges and dining areas are also located on both floors. Private car parking facilities are available for people visiting. The service can accommodate a maximum of 47 people and specialises in providing care for people who live with dementia.

The service did not have a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

When we undertook this inspection the service had appointed a new manager. The manager had commenced working at the home and was in the process of completing an application to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

At our focused inspection on 20 July 2017 we found that the provider had followed their plan and legal requirements had been met.

We found staffing levels the service had in place were sufficient to provide support people required.

Staff had received training to enable them to support people who challenged the service safely.

Care records had been developed, were informative and enabled us to identify how people were supported with their care. People's weight was being monitored and we found action had been taken where weight loss was identified. Information about how the service supported people who presented behaviour which challenged the service had been developed with clear strategies for staff supporting people who became agitated and distressed.

This inspection visit took place on 28 February 2017 and was unannounced.

This is the first inspection at Gilwood Lodge following the new providers registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on 11 November 2016.

Gilwood lodge is registered for the regulated activities accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care, treatment of disease and disorder or injury. The home is located in the south shore area of Blackpool close to the promenade. The home has two floors with lift access to the first floor. Rooms are en suite and there are bathroom and toilet facilities on both floors. Lounges and dining areas are also located on both floors. Private car parking facilities are available for people visiting. The service can accommodate a maximum of 47 people and specialises in providing care for people who live with dementia. At the time of our inspection visit there were 42 people who lived at the home.

When we undertook our inspection visit the registered manager had recently left the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The services operations manager told us the service had appointed a new manager who would commence working at the home on 03 April 2017. An Acting Manager was on duty on the day of our inspection.

We found care plans were disorganised and it was difficult to identify how the service supported people who had been assessed as being at risk of losing weight. People’s weight had not always been recorded and we found incomplete records completed by staff monitoring some people’s food intake. Information about how the service supported people who presented behaviour which challenged the service required development. This was because care plans did not provide clear strategies for staff supporting people who became agitated and distressed. The acting manager acknowledged documentation was poor and these were under review when we undertook our inspection visit.

This was a breach of Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 because the provider had not maintained accurate, complete and contemporaneous records in respect of each person who lived at the home.

We found staffing levels the service had in place were not sufficient to provide support people required. Some people who lived at the home and their visitors told us the service was often understaffed and sometimes they had to wait a long time when they needed assistance. We observed the lunch time meal in both dining rooms and saw some people who required assistance with their meals did not receive the support they required. This was because there was not enough staff to support everyone who needed help. We saw people sat staring at their meals and others getting up and leaving the dining room having eaten very little.

The services training matrix was dated and it was difficult to establish what training staff had received. During the inspection we noted concerns regarding accurate recording of weight loss and behaviour that challenged the service. The service was unable to evidence appropriate training had been provided to staff in these key areas.

This was breach of Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 because the provider had failed to ensure sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced persons were deployed to meet people’s needs.

Although a number of people had limited verbal communication and were unable to converse with us, we were able to speak with six people who lived at the home. We also spoke with three people visiting their relatives. People told us they were happy and well c